The production of sulfuryl chloride by the reaction of chlorine with sulfur dioxide in the presence of a carbon catalyst is a well known process. Typically, chlorine and sulfur dioxide are dissolved in a solvent (e.g., sulfuryl chloride) before contact with a carbon catalyst (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,400). Thionyl chloride is typically made by reacting sulfur dioxide with chlorine and sulfur dichloride in the presence of a carbon catalyst (see, e.g., Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry 5.sup.th edition, Vol. A25, pp. 627-629). Carbon catalysts are known to degrade during such processes. Therefore, there is an interest in developing processes in which the amount of carbon degradation is minimized.